NHL All-Star Game

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The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an ice hockey friendship game of the best and most popular players of the North American professional league National Hockey League , which, after half of the regular season games have been played, is currently taking place as a competition between the divisions .

The first six players per team to open the game are chosen by the fans. The remaining players per team are selected by the respective all-star coach. The coach of the team with the highest points at a given time in each conference will be the coach of the all-star team.

Before the actual All-Star Game, the NHL All-Star Skills Competition takes place, in which the various skills of the players present are demonstrated. Furthermore, the NHL Young Stars Game took place from 2002 to 2009 , only so-called rookies competed against each other. The playing time was shortened here. Only four field players played instead of the usual five.

history

Although the first official all-star game was played during the 1947/48 season, there were benefit games before that, in which the best players in the league were represented.

The first all-star game in ice hockey was played before the founding of the NHL by the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association on January 2, 1908 in memory of Hod Stuart of the Montreal Wanderers , who drowned three months after winning the Stanley Cup . The proceeds of this game, which the Montreal Wanderers won 10: 7 against an all-star team consisting of players from the remaining teams, went to the family of the deceased.

Ace Bailey Benefit Game

The two teams at the Ace Bailey Benefit Game

The first NHL All-Star Game was played in 1934 in favor of Ace Bailey , a Toronto Maple Leafs striker , who sustained an injury that ended his career.

On December 12, 1933, shortly before the end of the second period during a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins in the Boston Garden , Ace Bailey was hit from behind by the Boston Bruins defender Eddie Shore . This was in revenge for a check previously carried out by King Clancy on Eddie Shore. Bailey wasn't actually the target of the attack, as Shore actually wanted to hit Clancy. Nevertheless, Bailey was seriously injured in this action and remained unconscious and bleeding on the ice. Bailey's teammate Red Horner then hit Eddie Shore, so that he also fell unconscious to the ground. After the game, Bailey Shore forgave the attack because that was part of the game. Shortly thereafter, however, Bailey collapsed with convulsions and passed out again. The following night it was not certain that Bailey would survive this, as he suffered from severe cerebral haemorrhage. If Bailey had died, Shore would have expected homicide charges. Fortunately, Ace Bailey survived the serious injury, but his hockey career was over. For attacking Bailey, Shore received a 16-game suspension, a third of the season at the time, and Horner was suspended for the remainder of the year.

The game itself was suggested by Walter Gilhooley. This proposal was accepted on January 24, 1934 after a meeting of the NHL Board of Governors . On February 14, 1934, the first NHL All-Star Game took place. On this occasion, the Toronto Maple Leafs blocked the jersey number 6 worn by Ace Bailey. This was also the first number to be blocked in the NHL. In the game, the Toronto Maple Leafs competed against a selection of players from the remaining seven NHL teams and won 7-3. A notable moment occurred before the game when Ace Bailey presented Eddie Shore with his all-star jersey to demonstrate that he had forgiven him.

Howie Morenz Memorial Game

Toe Blakes jersey at the Howie Morenz Memorial Game

Howie Morenz was one of the best players in the National Hockey League in the 1930s. However, his career ended during a game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Chicago Black Hawks on January 28, 1937 at the Montréal Forum . During the game, Morenz was checked into the gang by Chicago player Earl Seibert . It looked like a normal check, but since the boards were still made of wood back then, Morenz's leg broke in five different places above the ankle. Morenz was brought from the ice on a stretcher and taken to hospital, where he died of a heart attack on March 8th. While Morenz was still in the hospital, plans were already being made for a benefit game. That game took place on November 3, 1937. The game played players from the Montréal Canadiens and Montreal Maroons against a selection of players from the rest of the teams, who won the game 6-5. Howie Morenz's number 7 shirt was later banned from the Montréal Canadiens.

Babe Siebert Memorial Game

After the benefit games for Bailey and Morenz, a game was held in the Montréal Forum in honor of Babe Siebert on October 29, 1939 . Siebert was active as a player between 1925 and 1939 for the Montreal Maroons , New York Rangers , Boston Bruins and Montréal Canadiens and should be the new head coach of the Canadiens after his resignation in the summer of 1939. However, due to a tragic swimming accident in which he died, it never happened.

In the game, the Montréal Canadiens met a selection of NHL stars who won the game 5-2 in front of a crowd of 6,000 spectators. The $ 15,000 raised went to his wife and two daughters.

The official games

The NHL All-Star Game has been held annually since the 1947/48 season . The game has not taken place four times since then: in 1966 the game was postponed from the beginning of the season to halfway through the season. The Challenge Cup was played in 1979, the Rendez-vous '87 was held in 1987, the season was shortened in 1995 due to a strike by the National Hockey League Players Association , and also in 2005. In 2006 the game did not take place due to the Winter Olympics in Turin , also in 2010, when the Winter Games took place in Vancouver , Canada .

The first NHL All-Star game was played on October 13, 1947 at Maple Leaf Gardens . The game was played until the 1967/68 season according to the following mode. The reigning Stanley Cup winner competed against a selection of the remaining teams.

For this game, glass panes were installed instead of the otherwise common barbed wire . The fans complained about this, as the noises of the checks on the boards sounded more muffled. Before the game, the reigning champion received various gifts, such as golf balls, cigarette boxes, ties, pocket knives and watches. In the end, the All-Stars won 4: 3 against the Leafs.

Usually the all-star game is always played in the stadium of the reigning champions. The second game , however, took place at the Chicago Stadium , as this was agreed during the contract negotiations for the first game. Due to scheduling difficulties, the second game was only played after the season was three weeks old and not as usual for the next 20 years before the start of the season.

In 1950, the reigning Stanley Cup champion won the All-Star game 7-1 for the first time. Since this game was pretty one-sided, a mode change was considered to make the game more balanced and more attractive for the fans again. A mind game was to cancel the game completely and to expand the final to include the Stanley Cup to nine games. Another idea was to have an American against a Canadian team.

Finally, the mode was changed for the 5th All-Star game . The first NHL All-Star Team competed against the second NHL All-Star Team. The remaining players on the first team were selected from American teams, the remaining players on the second team from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montréal Canadiens . The game ended 2-2 and the fans were disappointed again. The same selection format was used the next year and the game ended 1-1 after 60 minutes.

Due to numerous criticisms and the unattractive style of play, the NHL returned to the original format. The criticism was, among other things, that teammates often competed against each other in the new format and that the time of the game in the USA collided with the World Series in baseball and the National Football League . An editor at the Toronto Star , Red Burnett, suggested that the game be moved to the middle of the season and that the players be voted by fans.

In the 1967/68 season the game was then moved to the middle of the season, partly to promote the six new participants. Because the game now took place during the season, one had to think about player selection, as under the old mode the players would have been selected a year before the game took place. In addition, the championship team would no longer necessarily have been identical to the team that had previously won the cup.

The 21st All-Star Game a year later was a sad event. On January 14, 1968, two days before the game, Bill Masterton was checked by two Oakland Seals players and died from his injuries. The game itself was overshadowed by the discussion about mandatory helmet use. This was the last game in the old format. In the future, an All-Star team from the Eastern Conference should compete against a team from the Western Conference . The intention was to be able to play the game in any city, whereby a team from the respective conference was alternately entrusted with the organization. Furthermore, the best players from the current season and not from the previous season should be represented in the teams. At the 22nd All-Star Game , the reigning champions hosted the event for the last time. The first organizers as non-champions were the St. Louis Blues from the Western Conference. At the 26th All-Star Game , the most valuable player in the game (MVP) received a car as a bonus for the first time.

In 1978, after interest in international ice hockey was awakened again in the NHL, the league decided to replace the All-Star Game of 1979 with a three-game series. In this series - called the  Challenge Cup - the best players in the NHL should compete against the best players in the Soviet Union . This was also the first time that the fans could vote for the players. However, because the NHL players could only prepare for the series together for three days, the NHL players lost the series 2-1, with the last game being lost 6-0.

Over the next few years, interest in the All-Star game waned as some players preferred not to play and potential organizers canceled it. At the 37th All-Star Game in 1985 , honorary captains were elected for the first time. Furthermore, for the first time the fans were allowed to choose the six starting players per team. An option long practiced by the National Basketball Association , National Football League, and Major League Baseball . In doing so, the NHL wanted to increase media interest. This measure should already bear fruit next year.

In 1987, Rendez-vous '87 was held at the Colisée de Québec in Québec City . Again the NHL stars competed against the team of the Soviet Union. To avoid another embarrassment like 1979, a series of two games was played. The series ended 1-1. During the series, then-NHL President John Ziegler said that Soviet players could never play in the NHL and that NHL players would never play in the Winter Olympics. Former Soviet players now play in the NHL and NHL players take part in the Winter Olympics.

During the 41st All-Star Game in 1990 , the NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the "Heroes of Hockey" game were introduced. In 1998 for the 48th All-Star Game , the format was changed to promote the first-time participation of the NHL players in the Olympic Games. For the next five years, a North American selection competed against an international selection of NHL players.

The last "Heroes of Hockey" game as part of the All-Star Weekend took place in 2001. From 2002 it was replaced by the YoungStars Game , which lasted three times 10 minutes .

In 2003 the competition mode was changed back to east versus west. Another change took place in 2011 for the 58th All-Star Game . The first six players were chosen by the fans and were supplemented with players selected by the NHL. These formed two teams who chose the captain from among their number, after whom the team was named.

The four divisions have been meeting in a tournament format since 2016. Since then, games have only been played with three field players and a playing time of two times ten minutes.

All-Star Game Results

year winner Result loser All-Star Game MVP host
1947 All stars 4: 3 Toronto Maple Leafs not named Toronto Maple Leafs
1948 All stars 3: 1 Toronto Maple Leafs not named Chicago Black Hawks
1949 All stars 3: 1 Toronto Maple Leafs not named Toronto Maple Leafs
1950 Detroit Red Wings 7: 1 All stars not named Detroit Red Wings
1951 First all-star team 2: 2 Second all-star team not named Toronto Maple Leafs
1952 First all-star team 1: 1 Second all-star team not named Detroit Red Wings
1953 All stars 3: 1 Montréal Canadiens not named Montréal Canadiens
1954 All stars 2: 2 Detroit Red Wings not named Detroit Red Wings
1955 Detroit Red Wings 3: 1 All stars not named Detroit Red Wings
1956 All stars 1: 1 Montréal Canadiens not named Montréal Canadiens
1957 All stars 5: 3 Montréal Canadiens not named Montréal Canadiens
1958 Montréal Canadiens 6: 3 All stars not named Montréal Canadiens
1959 Montréal Canadiens 6: 1 All stars not named Montréal Canadiens
1960 All stars 2: 1 Montréal Canadiens not named Montréal Canadiens
1961 All stars 3: 1 Chicago not named Chicago Black Hawks
1962 Toronto Maple Leafs 4: 1 All stars Eddie Shack , Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs
1963 All stars 3: 3 Toronto Maple Leafs Frank Mahovlich , all-stars Toronto Maple Leafs
1964 All stars 3: 2 Toronto Maple Leafs Jean Béliveau , all-stars Toronto Maple Leafs
1965 All stars 5: 2 Montréal Canadiens Gordie Howe , all-stars Montréal Canadiens
1966 no game because the game was postponed from the beginning of the season to the middle of the season
1967 Montréal Canadiens 3-0 All stars Henri Richard , Montréal Canadiens Montréal Canadiens
1968 Toronto Maple Leafs 4: 3 All stars Bruce Gamble , Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs
1969 West Division 3: 3 East Division Frank Mahovlich , East Division Montréal Canadiens
1970 East Division 4: 1 West Division Bobby Hull , East Division St. Louis Blues
1971 West Division 2: 1 East Division Bobby Hull , West Division Boston Bruins
1972 East Division 3: 2 West Division Bobby Orr , East Division Minnesota North Stars
1973 East Division 5: 4 West Division Greg Polis , West Division New York Rangers
1974 West Division 6: 4 East Division Garry Unger , West Division Chicago Black Hawks
1975 Prince of Wales Conference 7: 1 Campbell Conference Syl Apps junior , Wales Conference Montréal Canadiens
1976 Prince of Wales Conference 7: 5 Campbell Conference Pete Mahovlich , Wales Conference Philadelphia Flyers
1977 Prince of Wales Conference 4: 3 Campbell Conference Rick Martin , Wales Conference Vancouver Canucks
1978 Prince of Wales Conference 3: 2 (OT) Campbell Conference Billy Smith , Campbell Conference Buffalo Sabers
1979 no game, because instead the Challenge Cup was played between a representative of the NHL and the team of the USSR
1980 Prince of Wales Conference 6: 3 Campbell Conference Reggie Leach , Campbell Conference Detroit Red Wings
1981 Campbell Conference 4: 1 Prince of Wales Conference Mike Liut , Campbell Conference Los Angeles Kings
1982 Prince of Wales Conference 4: 2 Campbell Conference Mike Bossy , Wales Conference Washington Capitals
1983 Campbell Conference 9: 3 Prince of Wales Conference Wayne Gretzky , Campbell Conference New York Islanders
1984 Prince of Wales Conference 7: 6 Campbell Conference Don Maloney , Wales Conference New Jersey Devils
1985 Prince of Wales Conference 6: 4 Campbell Conference Mario Lemieux , Wales Conference Calgary Flames
1986 Prince of Wales Conference 4: 3 (OT) Campbell Conference Grant Fuhr , Campbell Conference Hartford Whalers
1987 no game, as instead the rendez-vous '87 between a representative of the NHL and the team of the USSR was held
1988 Prince of Wales Conference 6: 5 (OT) Campbell Conference Mario Lemieux , Wales Conference St. Louis Blues
1989 Campbell Conference 9: 5 Prince of Wales Conference Wayne Gretzky , Campbell Conference Edmonton Oilers
1990 Prince of Wales Conference 12: 7 Campbell Conference Mario Lemieux , Wales Conference Pittsburgh Penguins
1991 Campbell Conference 11: 5 Prince of Wales Conference Vincent Damphousse , Campbell Conference Chicago Blackhawks
1992 Campbell Conference 10: 6 Prince of Wales Conference Brett Hull , Campbell Conference Philadelphia Flyers
1993 Prince of Wales Conference 16: 6 Campbell Conference Mike Gartner , Wales Conference Montréal Canadiens
1994 Eastern Conference 9: 8 Western Conference Mike Richter , Eastern Conference New York Rangers
1995 no game due to lockout until mid-season
1996 Eastern Conference 5: 4 Western Conference Ray Bourque , Eastern Conference Boston Bruins
1997 Eastern Conference 11: 7 Western Conference Mark Recchi , Eastern Conference San Jose Sharks
1998 North America 8: 7 World Teemu Selänne , World Vancouver Canucks
1999 North America 8: 6 World Wayne Gretzky , North America Tampa Bay Lightning
2000 World 9: 4 North America Pawel Bure , World Toronto Maple Leafs
2001 North America 14:12 World Bill Guerin , North America Colorado Avalanche
2002 World 8: 5 North America Éric Dazé , North America Los Angeles Kings
2003 Western Conference 6: 5 (SO) Eastern Conference Dany Heatley , Eastern Conference Florida panthers
2004 Eastern Conference 6: 4 Western Conference Joe Sakic , Western Conference Minnesota Wild
2005 no game because of the lockout
2006 no game because of the Olympic Winter Games in Turin
2007 Western Conference 12: 9 Eastern Conference Daniel Brière , Eastern Conference Dallas Stars
2008 Eastern Conference 8: 7 Western Conference Eric Staal , Eastern Conference Atlanta Thrashers
2009 Eastern Conference 12:11 (SO) Western Conference Alexei Kowaljow , Eastern Conference Montréal Canadiens
2010 no game because of the Vancouver Winter Olympics
2011 Team Lidström 11:10 Team Staal Patrick Sharp , Team Staal Carolina Hurricanes
2012 Team Chára 12: 9 Team Alfredsson Marián Gáborík , Team Chára Ottawa Senators
2013 no game because of the lockout
2014 no game because of the Winter Olympics in Sochi
2015 Team Foligno 12:17 Team Toews Ryan Johansen , Team Foligno Columbus Blue Jackets
2016 1 Team Pacific 1-0 Team Atlantic John Scott , Team Atlantic Nashville Predators
2017 1 Team Metropolitan 4: 3 Team Pacific Wayne Simmonds , Team Metropolitan Los Angeles Kings
2018 1 Team Pacific 5: 2 Team Atlantic Brock Boeser , Team Pacific Tampa Bay Lightning
2019 Team Metropolitan 10: 5 Team Central Sidney Crosby , Team Metropolitan San Jose Sharks
2020 St. Louis Blues
1 The All-Star Game has been played in tournament format between teams from the four NHL divisions since 2016.

Individual evidence

  1. Full NHL All-Star rosters announced January 13, 2007

literature

  • Andrew Podnieks: The NHL All-Star Game: 50 years of the great tradition . HarperCollins, Toronto 2000, ISBN 978-0-00-200058-1 .